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> if you want to push it that far, you have to answer the question of why bicycle riders aren't required to have a driver license, carry insurance, register th

> if you want to push it that far, you have to answer the question of why bicycle riders aren't required to have a driver license, carry insurance, register their bikes, and have license plates. Because both the scale of destruction and death a cyclist is capable of is nowhere near that of someone driving even a small compact economy car, and the relation between damage caused vs suffered is nowhere as disproportionate? A driver can plow through a crowd of dozens of people, killing and maiming, and not suffer the slightest injury. > Because if you think a bike can't cause a serious accident, you haven't driven the roads too much. Never has a cyclist damaged a building, much less obliterated a storefront or killed people sitting inside said building. Or taken out a traffic light, or telephone pole. Never has a structural engineer had to evaluate a building or bridge after a cyclist hit it. Never has a cyclist caused a mass casualty event. A cyclist causing a death is so unheard of it's literally national news.

john_the_writer 4y ago
Do not forgot that people also conflate cyclists and commuters. A cyclist might be going really fast, but most commuters go along at a gentler pace. Even so, I so wish more people realised how on point your words are. In Sydney getting on a bike is almost a death sentence. For a place with zero snow, it's shocking how scary it is.
- lupire 4y ago
  In US commuters are mainly fast cyclists because they have to cover a long distance.
  - milkytron 4y ago
    I think this depends, and I'd like to see numbers on it. When I commuted by bike to work, I would go at a gentle pace so that I didn't end up drenched in sweat. Lots of my coworkers also just cruised in and very few of them showered at the office after arriving. I think in cities, bike commuters generally just try to go at a safe speed that isn't too exhausting. The furthest anyone in my office rode one way was about 10 miles, and that guy hustled and did competitions. He certainly was the outlier.
    - john_the_writer 4y ago
      I base most of my speculations on "not just bikes" videos. Well and that I used to bike to work, and took my time (after I got used to the trip).. It was about 8 miles.. If I'd have had an E-bike, I would have gone about the same speed, but with less sweat.

john_the_writer 4y ago

Do not forgot that people also conflate cyclists and commuters. A cyclist might be going really fast, but most commuters go along at a gentler pace. Even so, I so wish more people realised how on point your words are. In Sydney getting on a bike is almost a death sentence. For a place with zero snow, it's shocking how scary it is.

lupire 4y ago
In US commuters are mainly fast cyclists because they have to cover a long distance.
- milkytron 4y ago
  I think this depends, and I'd like to see numbers on it. When I commuted by bike to work, I would go at a gentle pace so that I didn't end up drenched in sweat. Lots of my coworkers also just cruised in and very few of them showered at the office after arriving. I think in cities, bike commuters generally just try to go at a safe speed that isn't too exhausting. The furthest anyone in my office rode one way was about 10 miles, and that guy hustled and did competitions. He certainly was the outlier.
  - john_the_writer 4y ago
    I base most of my speculations on "not just bikes" videos. Well and that I used to bike to work, and took my time (after I got used to the trip).. It was about 8 miles.. If I'd have had an E-bike, I would have gone about the same speed, but with less sweat.